For many years, Aqueduct Marina has sought to help decarbonise the waterways and marina operations as much as possible. More recently, the Church Minshull-based marina has calculated its carbon footprint in an effort to find ways to reduce the business’s environmental impact further. As a result, Aqueduct was one of the first inland waterways marinas to offer HVO alongside conventional diesel. Ev drivers have not been overlooked with the installation of charging points in the carpark, all of which helped the marina gain the coveted TYHA Clean Marin status.

However, in a first for an inland marina, Aqueduct is now able to offer hydrogen to the boating community equipped with fuel cell technology. The marina can now supply BOC’s Genie lightweight cylinders that contain 30% more gas than equivalent steel cylinders, resulting in fewer changeovers.

Alongside the announcement of Aqueduct’s latest efforts to help boat owners reduce emissions, they are working with Hydrogen Afloat, producers of their hydrogen fuel cell domestic power system for boats. These innovative units can be fitted to the roof of most narrow boats and will reduce engine running time for battery charging while emitting nothing more damaging than water.

In addition to supplying hydrogen, the establishment of a commercial agreement with BOC will enable Aqueduct to supply any of the BOC gases to customers. Tom Raines, Chandlery Manager at Aqueduct, said, ” We would need to set up new customers with a BOC account, which normally takes around 10 minutes, after which customers can buy welding gas, balloon gas, oxygen, as well as hydrogen.

Robert Parton, MD of Aqueduct Marina, said, “My expectation is that we will not sell much hydrogen in the short term, but there are power systems such as the one provided by Hydrogen Afloat on the market now, and I am looking forward to seeing how the hydrogen propulsion market develops.”

Nick Swift, Director of Hydrogen Afloat, added, “We are delighted that Aqueduct are the first marina in the UK to stock hydrogen.  We need to find ways to decarbonise the canals and rivers of the UK.  We can start with domestic power, since that works now, but in time I expect we will see hydrogen use for propulsion. Birmingham, London, and other cities already have fuel cell buses, so hydrogen gas is becoming more widely used. Making hydrogen available at the canal-side supports innovation in the inland waterways, creating the opportunity for early adopters to take advantage of the benefits it offers”.

For more information on the wide range of chandlery products available from Aqueduct Marina, visit https://aqueductmarina.co.uk/

Credit: Written by Phil Picken